1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an ice cream vending machine for automatically vending ice cream manufactured in the form of a bead-shaped particle having a diameter approximately between 3 and 7 mm, and more particularly to an apparatus for agitating the ice cream thus preventing the ice cream particles filled in a canister from being attached to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a general ice cream vending machine includes a refrigerating system 10, a cooling chamber 20 maintained at a low temperature by the operation of the refrigerating system 10, a canister 30 installed within the cooling chamber 20 and filled with a bead-shaped ice cream, a cup feeding device 40 installed outside the cooling chamber 20, which accommodates cups 41 for holding the ice cream, a discharging device 50 for discharging the ice cream filled in the canister 30 to the environment outside the freezing system 10, a chute 60 and a guiding member 70 for guiding the ice cream discharged by the discharging device 50 to the cups 41, and an agitating device 80 for preventing ice cream particles in the canister 30 from attaching to each other.
The refrigerating system 10 is generally known in the refrigerating field, and is used to freeze internal air of the vending machine through a phase change of refrigerant. The air, chilled by the refrigerating system 10, is blown into the cooling chamber 20 by a blower 11.
In the canister 30, bead type ice cream, made in the form of particle having diameter approximately of 3-7 mm, is filled. On a lower end of the canister 30, a discharge port 31 is formed so that the ice cream is discharged therethrough. Meanwhile, in order to maintain the bead shape of the ice cream particles in the canister 30, the cooling chamber 20 is maintained at a temperature approximately between xe2x88x9243xc2x0 and xe2x88x9227xc2x0 C.
The ice cream discharging device 50 includes a discharging motor 51 installed on a sidewall of the cooling chamber 20, and a screw member 52 rotatably disposed on a lower end of the canister 30 and rotatably driven by the discharging motor 51 to convey the ice cream particles to the discharging port 31.
The chute 60 is formed on the lower side of the discharging port 31 of the canister 30 to collect the discharged ice cream. The guiding member 70 is disposed on the lower side of the chute 60 to guide the discharged ice cream particles to the cup 41.
The agitating device 80 includes a worm wheel 81 driven by the rotation of the screw member 52 serving as a worm gear, and an agitating member 82 disposed on the upper end of the worm wheel 81 and engages therewith. The agitating member 82 is formed by bending a resilient plate. The agitating member 82 vibrates upward and downward according to the rotational movement of the worm wheel 81, agitating the ice cream particles located at the lower portion of the canister 30.
In the conventional ice cream vending machine constructed as above, when a customer inserts a certain amount of money in the vending machine and presses a selection button (not shown) formed thereon, first, the cup 41 is fed by the cup feeding device 40 to a predetermined position under the guiding member 70. Continuously, by the rotational movement of the screw member 52 caused by the discharging motor 51, the ice cream particles are discharged through the discharging port 31, and piled in the cup 41 through a passage 71 of the chute 60 and the guiding member 70. At this time, the agitating member 82 agitates the ice cream particles piled in the lower portion of the canister 30 by resiliently vibrating upward and downward, thus preventing the attachment of the ice cream particles to each other.
In the conventional ice cream vending machine, however, since the agitating device 80 agitates the ice cream particles piled at the lower portion of the canister 30, which is formed in the proximity of the discharging port 31, it is a problem to prevent attachment of ice cream particles at the upper portion of the canister 30. Accordingly, when the ice cream particles at the upper portion of the canister 30 are attached to each other, an empty space forms in the lower portion of the canister 30 after a certain amount of ice cream particles are discharged out. As a result, in spite of the operation of the discharging motor 51, ice cream particles are not properly discharged.
Further, in the conventional ice cream vending machine, the agitating device 80 operates only during the period discharge of the ice cream particles. Accordingly, problems caused by attachment of ice cream particles are compounded when the ice cream vending machine is not operated for a long period of time, i.e., at night, at dawn, during the winter season, etc.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ice cream agitating device that agitates ice cream particles at the upper and lower portions of a canister.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an agitating device that agitates the ice cream particles at the upper portion of a canister, and agitates the ice cream particles even at times other than during the ice cream discharging operation of an ice cream vending machine.
The above object is accomplished by an apparatus for agitating an ice cream in an ice cream vending machine in accordance with the present invention, including a screw member rotatably disposed on an inner lower side of a canister, a worm wheel disposed in contact with the screw member, which is rotatably driven by a rotational movement of the screw member, and an agitating member, a lower end of which contacts the worm wheel and an upper end positioned at an inner upper side of the canister. The agitating member agitates the ice cream particles found at upper and lower portions of the canister evenly by resilient upward and downward vibration caused by rotational movement of the worm wheel. Preferably, the worm wheel is disposed in engaging contact with an upper end of the screw member, and is rotatably driven by rotational movement of the screw member.
The agitating member is formed by bending a resilient wire approximately into a rectangular shape, the wire having a contacting portion protruding from the lower end of the agitating member so as to contact with the teeth of the worm wheel.
Another object is also accomplished by an apparatus for agitating ice cream in an ice cream vending machine in accordance with the present invention, including a screw member rotatably disposed adjacent an inner lower side of a canister, a worm wheel disposed in engaging contact with the screw member, and rotatably driven by rotational movement of the screw member, a first agitating member disposed such that a lower end thereof is capable of engaging contact with the worm wheel, the first agitating member being resiliently vibrated upward and downward by being driven by the rotational movement of the worm wheel, thereby agitating ice cream particles in a lower portion of the canister, an agitating motor, and a second rotatable agitating member rotatably disposed adjacent the inner upper end of the canister at a predetermined distance from the first agitating member, the second rotatable agitating member being rotatably driven by the agitating motor, for agitating ice cream particles in an upper portion of the canister. Preferably, the worm wheel is disposed in engaging contact with an upper end of the screw member, and is rotatably driven by rotational movement of the screw member.
The rotatable agitating member includes a rotary shaft, one end of which being removably connected to an output shaft of the agitating motor, and a plurality of protruding portions protruding from the rotary shaft in a radial pattern.
According to the present invention, in addition to the agitation of ice cream particles filled in the lower portion of the canister, ice cream particles filled in the upper portion of the canister can also be agitated, the attachment of ice cream particles being thereby prevented throughout the canister.